The Price of a Smile
by Notsureyet18
Summary: Bad things happen when you leave Storybrooke. And no one, not even the creator of the curse, is the exception of the rule. A cross over with the Batman Trilogy/Once upon a Time. Rated T for violence, mild language, and suggestive themes. My first crossover with my lovely beta, Luna, to help. Rating WILL go up.


A/N: Brand new story which is a cross over between the Batman Trilogy and Once Upon a Time. Takes place right after Batman Begins and before Emma arrives in Storybrooke. I was thinking about what sort of 'bad things' happen to people when they leave Storybrooke, and this came up. Obviously set in Nolanverse, and there is a lot of influence from the Batman comics which will be followed loosely, and some of the Batman games. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

_"Some place where the only happy ending is mine" _

Those words had always haunted his dreams. But he had never known where they come from. Leg tingling from the awkward position, he moved across the bare, cold bench they dared call a bed. How long had he been in this prison? The days seemed to blend together, and the only way he could tell when it was night or day was through the little sliver of a window.

He waited for her to pass by. Eyes glued to the wall, all of his thoughts were strained to listen for the unmistakable sound of high heels clicking down the hallway, followed by the soft pitter patter of a nurse, or body guard following closely behind. For hours he waited. By now, his head was throbbing in agony, but he wouldn't let that stop him now. He was so close, so very close. Finally, after an eternity of waiting, he heard the clicks coming from down the hallways. One foot planted in front, she was still at the end of the hallway, but there was no mistake that she was coming.

Stuck in this cell, this was by far, the worst of the curse. Separated from those he loved outside, he wished he had never set foot inside that stupid pawnshop. It triggered so many memories. So many dark, awful memories about her, what she had done to everyone. Before he knew what he was doing, he had his hands wrapped around her throat, that porcelain face twisted in shock as he heaved her body over her desk, sending a vase of apples flying across the room. He barely had time to register the young Sheriff yanking him off her. As he was dragged out of the large, white building, he looked up to see a crowd watching him. Out of the crowd, he picked up a pair of shocked, scared eyes staring back at him. Yes! They remembered to! By the Gods he would free them, no matter the consequence.

For a week, he was left alone in his cold, dark cell. Left alone to wallow in his memories. They still only came in jagged blips. Only in his dreams were his memories most vivid. Day after day she came to taunt him. And day after day, he prepared for her. The time had finally come. Despite the freezing temperature of the room, his body was racked with sweat as he struggled to control his breathing. Reaching his hand out, he grasped the bread crumbs in his hands. For the last five days, they had fed him two slices of toast every day. And every day, he had crumbled the bread and stored it, now giving him a nice pile of dust. _Click. Click. _That obnoxious clicking of the heels echoed down the hallways. One foot in front of the other.

"_Oh godammit just get here_!" Abe thought to himself. The suspense was unbearable!

With a rusty sound of the knob to his door turning, his eyes turned towards the door. Breath kicking up a notch, his eyes never left the door as a little crack of light seeped through his dark dungeon. There again, his tormentor stood above him. Sighing gratefully, he noticed that only one bodyguard stood behind her.

"So" His Majesty, or rather Mayor Mills scoffed at him with that annoying smirk, "Are you ready to explain why you attacked me? Or are you content to sit here in the dark doing…well whatever it is you're doing?" she said this last part with a sneer marring her perfect red lips.

Gripping both piles of his breadcrumb dust tightly in his fists, Abe stood up, eyes trained on the ground. The bodyguard standing behind her tensed slightly.

"Yes" he said hoarsely, his mouth dry from dehydration and anticipation, "I-I would look to ask for your forgiveness"

"Really?" she said with a slight laugh, "And why would I offer you that after the threats you made on my life?"

Abe continued to hang his head as he barked out a short, embarrassed laugh. "I-I had a moment of insanity. I thought, I uh, I thought I remembered you doing something awful to me"

"After all of the things I have done for this town, what would possibly install the bizarre delusion?" she folded her arms in front of her, neck strain forward as she stared at him in disbelief.

"I don't know" Abe said with a slight shrug, as he let out another choked laugh.

"Then what is it you would have me do?" she asked him, her voice condescending.

Finally, Abe dragged his eyes from the floor, all of his hatred bubbling over as his body was racked with violent shakes. Eyes darting from both the mayor and to her bodyguard, he eyes finally settled to meet the Mayor's.

"Burn" he whispered, taking the time to carefully enunciate every letter.

The Mayor's eyes widened. The bodyguard lunged forward, just as Abe had expected him to do. Both fists yanking up, he threw the breadcrumbs straight into the other man's eyes.

"Ah!-"The man's strangled cries of pain were cut short as Abe's knee collided with his face, efficiently knocking the body guard down.

"Oh!" Regina let out a gasp as she found herself thrown up against the cold cement wall, her hands desperately tearing at Abe's wrists.

"After everything you've done to me, to us!" he hissed in Regina's ear, reviling in the choking sound of her gasps for breath, "After everything, why? Why can't I kill you?"

Large tears ran down Regina's face as she struggled for breath. Ignoring the fear in her eyes, Abe's hand trailed down the Mayor's outfit, his hands finding her waist as he dipped his hand inside her jacket. Regina kicked at him desperately, but he brushed off her frail attempts to hurt him as he yanked out the chain that held her skeleton keys.

"Thank you" he said, his tone as sarcastic as hers had been with him.

Giving one last squeeze of his hand around her throat, he watched the Mayor's eyes roll to back of her head so that only the whites of her eyes were shown. Grabbing the Mayor's fallen form, he slumped her onto his poor excuse of a bed before setting to work on exchanging clothes with the fallen bodyguard. He had only minutes before both would be awake again.

* * *

The loud pounding reverberated off her door. Wiping the exhaustion from her eyes, Sarah Lee threw on her bathrobe as she turned on the night light. The pounding grew even more frantic. Really, who could be on the doorstep at this time of night?

"I'm coming" she muttered gruffly as she yanked open the door, ready to tear her visitor limb from limb, "What the hell do you think-Abe!"

"You remember?" he said breathlessly. For a moment, Sarah Lee stared at him, her big brown eyes wide in shock.

Her silence was the confirmation Abe needed. In less than a moment, Sarah Lee found herself being lifted off the ground, her brown hair flying everywhere as Abe crashed his lips into hers. His face had the beginnings of a beard from being locked in the hospital basement for the last week, but she didn't care. Eagerly, her lips desperately sought his as she clung to him like a madwoman. For a long time, they kissed as if they hadn't held each other in over a lifetime. Indeed, they hadn't.

After they both settled down, the mood sobered up quickly as worry began to seep in.

"When did you start remembering?" Abe asked her as he hunched himself over a hut cup of tea.

"I don't know" Sarah Lee said as she chewed her bottom lip nervously, "All I knew that there was this handsome man who worked at the hospital that I never had the nerve to talk to. And, well, I had had some rather vivid dreams as well. My Knight in shining armor" she said this last part with a smile playing on her lips.

"My little seamstress" he said affectionately, "I remember, I first saw you behind a spinning wheel, and although everyone's eyes were on Snow White, you were the only one I saw" His eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at her incredulously. "I remember!"

For a moment, the pair just stared at each other in silence.

Abe gave her a half smile. "All this time, and we were right under each other's noses. It was that damned pawnshop that triggered everything. Inside there was this antique necklace, the one your mother gave you. Then, I don't know. I remember trying to throw the Queen across the room. That part didn't really work out"

"Yes" she said with a nod, "Something about your eyes that day. I knew I had seen it before, knew we had been together before. I knew I loved you once before" she lifted her chin as he turned to stare up at him, "I know I love you now"

Setting the cup down on the table, Abe stood and closed the distance between him and Sarah Lee.

"We can't stay here" he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her, "They are going to come looking for me. They'll probably come straight here"

"But we can't leave" Sarah Lee cried as she clung onto him, "You've read the papers! Everyone who leaves here gets into an accident! Something bad always happens. The people leave for Boston and their bodies are later found on the side of the road!"

"We're not leaving by car" he told her firmly as he wrapped his arms even tighter around her, "There is a short cut through the woods. We'll leave on foot"

"No!" Sarah Lee shrieked, her voice cracking from fear, "Abe! Please no!" Tears cascaded down her face as she sobbed into his chest, "Something bad will happen!"

Gripping her face in his hands, Abe forced Sarah Lee to look him in the eyes. "Something bad will happen if we stay here! She'll know you remember! I-I shouldn't have come here!"

"Don't say that!"

"No!" he roared, "I probably led her straight to you! Sarah, we can't stay here!"

"I know" she said hoarsely as she allowed him to wrap his arms around her, "I'm coming with you. I love you. I lost you once; I'm not losing you again"

The sharp sound of police sirens cut through the night. Sara Lee gave a frightened cry as she raced to lock the front door again. Abe watched, smiling humorlessly. _As if locking the door would do any good._

"Sarah, there's no time for that!" Abe suddenly shouted when Sarah began dead bolting the door. Big brown eyes stared up at him. "Please, go get something comfortable to wear, grab all the money you can, we have to go now! They won't follow us once we reach the city limits"

Nodding numbly, Sarah Lee nodded. Quickly throwing on a pair of baggy capris and a tank top she swiped her rainy day stash of money out of her drawer. Abe began drumming his foot impatiently against the ground. The sirens grew louder and he knew they didn't have much time. Sarah Lee twirled around her room, all of items suddenly becoming so valuable to her. She was so wrapped up in her own world that she didn't even notice Abe had followed her up the stairs and was now gently tugging on her shoulders.

"Good-bye" she whispered to the walls.

Tears blinding her, she allowed Abe to enclose his hands in her own as he dragged her towards the backdoor. Fleeing into the nearby woods, Sarah Lee tore herself away from Abe to take one last look at her house as the police encircled it from all corners. Tearing herself away from the scene, she followed Abe into the thickest part of the woods. For hours they ran. Soon, the sun made a thin sliver of light across the crisp, night air. Lungs aching painfully from the combination of cool air and constant running, she yanked her hand out of Abe's, her fists slamming on her thighs as she desperately gasped for air. Sarah Lee furiously wiped away the sweat from her brow.

"Don't stop now" Abe whispered encouragingly, "We're almost there. See! The city limits is right there!"

Indeed they have. Eyes fixed on that historical Storybrooke sign, her feet feel as if they were locked to the ground. Undaunted, Abe eagerly crossed the city limits. Turning around to see Sarah Lee had not followed him, he stretched a hand out towards her.

"See, nothing bad happened" a shaky smile played on his lips as she stared at his outstretched hand, "I'll protect you. Trust me!"

With a smile of her own, Sarah Lee grabbed Abe's hand. Together, they walked down the road before going back into the woods. Finally, they were free.

* * *

"Ah, Madam Mayor, what can I do for you?" Mr. Gold said pleasantly as walked into the large, white room. Looking around, he noticed that for once, the basket of apples was no longer on her desk.

Regina had her back towards him, hands clasped firmly behind her back. Judging by how hard she was gripping her hands, he could tell she was pissed. No. Pissed was an understatement. He'd heard about the two attacks on her, the first inside her own office, and the second when she gloated over the prisoner in his own cell. He noticed that she wore a turtleneck sweatshirt, which was so unlike her; prisoner must've left fingerprints on her little neck. The Mayor had let the anger and her pride get the best of her, and now, a prisoner had escaped. It was of no matter to him. Pulling out a chair, he waited for her to turn around and finally announce what she had called him in for.

After an eternity of glaring outside her window, Regina finally spoke, her voice low and threatening. "He escaped"

"So I heard" Mr. Gold said with a slight laugh, "And he took a little friend with him. Surely this can't be troubling you" He was quite for a moment, before he added quietly, "You know, bad things tend to happen to bad people who do those sort of things?" Surely she wasn't so angry that she had forgotten what happen to those who tried to leave Storybrooke.

Regina gave a loud sigh as her shoulders rose and fell. "I was attacked. Twice"

"I heard about that little scuffle in the hospital. Such an unpleasant encounter"

Regina spun on her heels to face him, lips twisted in a scowl, "He threatened my life"

With a slight shrug, he stared up at her. "Yes, I imagine it must have been a very traumatic. Now the only question that remains is what is it you are asking of me?"

"No one has ever attacked me before!" Placing her hands firmly on her desk, Regina leaned over to look him square in the eye. "This…this is personal. I want you to find them"

"And you want me to bring them back?" he narrowed his eyes at her, the question undeniable in his voice.

Lips twisted in a small, evil smile, Regina finally spoke, her voice dripping with pure hatred. "Find them. This is personal. I want him thrown into a cell forever. You can put his friend in one too"

"And here I expected you to be far more creative than that" he couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Oh?" her eyebrows arched, "What would you suggest?"

"Madam Mayor, when someone inflicts pain on you, let's just say there is nothing more satisfying than inflicting pain back" he smiled at her again, but there was no warmth in his smile, "If that escapee is a problem you can't fix, as always, I am only too happy to help. For a price"

"Fine" Regina's voice was hard. She hated making deals with this man. "There'll be two parts. Once the job is complete, you will have a handsome paycheck waiting for you"

"Oh" he said curiously, "And the first part is…?"

Tilting her head to the right, Regina let a small chuckle escape from her lips. "Tell me, when's the last time you left Storybrooke anyways?"

Smiling back up at her, Mr. Gold nodded. "Well my dear, I believe we have a deal"

With a nod of his head, he rose from his chair and turned to leave her. He could feel her eyes burning holes in her back. But he didn't care. He was leaving Storybrooke, even briefly, and he hadn't even needed to use the 'please' card on her. Not that he would get his hands dirty. Absolutely not. Making his way over to his store, he headed straight for the cabinet in the very back, the one where he kept his stash of sources from the outside world.

* * *

They had been on the road for two days. Managing to find a ride from a kind elderly couple in the back of a red pick-up truck, Abe allow Sarah Lee to curl up next to him as she fell into a deep, exhausted slumber. Stashing a sweaty, crumbled twenty dollar bill into the older man's hand, Abe had asked him to drop them off in the city opposite of Boston. Boston would be the first place that the Queen would send someone to look for them. He doubted she would, but it was always a good idea to play it safe. They seemed to drive on forever, the cold hard steel of the truck cutting into his back. Finally, the truck came to a rough, squeaky stop.

Rubbing Sarah's sore shoulders, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Wake up! We're here!"

Bleary eyed, Sarah mumbled something before allowing Abe to help her off the truck. She was completely drained. Even in sleep, she was tormented from awful nightmares. But they had made it out of Storybrooke, and for the moment, they were in one piece. Something caught her attention as she walked away from Abe.

"You don't know how grateful I am" Abe profusely thanked the gentleman and his wife, "I don't know how much longer we could've stayed on the road like that"

"It's no problem, sonny" the older man said good-naturedly as he tipped his blue hat, "Just doing a good deed…"

Abe no longer heard the man as he watched Sarah Lee amble over to a nearby sign, her fixed on the words. With another quick thank you, he rushed over to her side, concern showing over his tired face.

"Sarah?" he asked her, gently, shaking her shoulder, "What's wrong? Sarah! Talk to me!"

Sarah Lee was staring transfixed up at the city sign above her, mouth hanging open and twitching slightly.

"Sarah, it's just a sign. Don't let it frighten you" Pulling Sarah Lee away, he pulled her into a tight embrace, "I promise, I'll keep you safe"

Turning to begin walking to the nearby city, Sarah Lee turned her head to look back at the city sign once more.

**You are now entering Gotham City**

But that wasn't what had Sarah suddenly shaking like a leaf. No, someone had turned all of the 'O''s in the city sign into demented smiley faces outlined in dark, dripping red paint.


End file.
